York Literature Festival

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It’s five years since I appeared at St Peters school as part of the York Literary Festival to discuss my childhood memoir, ‘This Boy’.
Today, three books on, I’m back to be interviewed, once again, by Elly Fiorentini. It’s a wonderful piece of continuity. Elly and I can hardly believe that so many years have passed.

The location is every bit as welcoming with Ben Fuller, Head of Politics at this ancient public school, again playing an important role in the Festival and with his students giving up their Saturday afternoon to assist.

Little Apple Bookshop in York do a splendid job in providing books for sale and the venue is close enough to Hull (36 miles) to bring across some old friends and former constituents.

One dear friend, John Butterick is here with a bunch of his old university pals. John is responsible for establishing and running the enormously successful Hull Children’s University. HCU gives under-privileged children, many in care, the kind of experiences that can broaden their horizons and lift their aspirations. They go to London to see Parliament at work; to local business sites such as Siemens and Smith & Nephew; across the Humber to learn about the estuary’s importance and to art galleries, theatres, museums and music venues. Some of the kids have never previously set foot outside of their housing estates.

John retired a couple of years ago having received an MBE for his services to education.